January 4, 2017
January
5
Power Hour 3:15-4:15 p.m.
6
Zephyr Spirit day (out of
dress code)
6
SPIRITUS Drop In
10
Forensics sign up deadline
12
Xavier Math bowl for those
students who signed up
12
Power Hour 3:15-4:15 p.m.
13
Early Dismissal (end of 2nd
quarter)
13
6th grade working on class
wide project at SMCMS
13
7th grade field trip to
Menasha Public Library
13
8th grade trip to nursing
homes in our community
19
Power Hour 3:15-4:15 p.m.
20
Out of dress code day
20
5th/6th grade social
3:30-5:30 at SMCMS
20
Grade/Middle School night
at SMCHS basketball games
26
Power Hour 3:15-4:15 p.m.
27
SMCMS Geography Bee
27
SMCMS Musical Auditions
27
SPIRITUS Drop In
31
SMCMS Musical Auditions
29-Feb 3
Catholic Schools Week
February
1
SMCMS Musical Auditions
6
SMCMS Musical callbacks
7
SMCMS Musical callbacks
Sum Dog Contest
56 sixth grade St. Mary Catholic Middle School students participated in the
online Sum Dog national math contest from December 16-22. Students
competed in a game format against 1530 other classes throughout the
nation. 5,911,878 math questions were answered by participating students
during the week of the contest. Student scores were based on the percentage
of questions each student answered correctly. SMCMS 6th graders from the
Math 4/7 class finished in 15th place, Math 1/2 class finished in 20th place, and
Math 8/9 finished in 39th place. Congratulations to all the sixth graders who
participated. Of the 33,709 students in the nation who competed Jackson
Kuehn finished in 20th place. Congratulations, Jackson!
7th and 8th grade field trips on January 13th
Permission slips were sent home with the 7th and 8th grade students today.
The 7th grade will be attending the Menasha Public Library to kick off their
research for the 3rd quarter project. The 8th grade will be visiting nursing
homes in the community to go along with their class theme Go Make a
Difference. Please return these permission slips ASAP.
Diocesan Family Life lessons
Throughout the next several weeks, the 6th, 7th and 8th grader students will
begin their Family Life lessons in Religion classes. Keep scrolling for more
information about this Diocesan Approved Curriculum.
Upcoming Fine Arts opportunities
Forensics: The deadline to sign up for SMCMS forensics is January 10. Keep
scrolling for more information about signing up. This may be a parent
involvement opportunity as well.
Musical Auditions and Callbacks: We will be having SMCMS Musical
Auditions during the school day on January 27, January 31, and February 1
with callbacks on February 6 and 7. An announcement of the SMCMS musical
students will be performing will be coming soon!
Kindness Project update
A baby Jesus has been added to our manger this week. He certainly found a
comfortable place here at SMCMS with all the kind ways that we served
others. A star has also been added with the words from John 1:5 The light
shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. If you’d like to
hear more about this, see this video.
Pastries with the Principal
January’s Pastries with the Principals will take place at the individual campuses, where the principal from the next
school will be on hand, along with your school’s principal. This will give you the opportunity to chat about any
thoughts or questions you might have about your child’s current experiences or what might be coming up in the
future. The schedule is as follows:
Monday, January 9
Tuesday, January 10
Wednesday, January 11
Thursday, January 12
St. Mary Elementary School from 7:45-8:45 a.m.
St. Mary Catholic Middle School from 7:45-8:45 a.m.
St. Gabriel Elementary School from 7:45-8:45 a.m.
St. Margaret Mary Elementary School from 7:45-8:45 a.m.
Mrs. Leege and Mr. Zuleger
Mr. Zuleger and Mr. Batey
Mrs. Leege and Mr. Zuleger
Mrs. Healy and Mr. Zuleger
News from Food Service
Starting after Christmas break, we will be offering a ham sandwich as an additional alternate at the elementary and
middle school. We will offer the sandwich hot or cold and with or without cheese. If your child would like this
alternate, please have them indicate how they would like it prepared.
We have started with our Hot Lunch Advisory Committee meetings. We are receiving great feedback, whether it’s
positive or items they would like discontinued and additional items they would like added. So look for jicama, frozen
slushies and other items after break.
We truly appreciate your support of our hot lunch program. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Lynn Graves, Food Service Director
920-967-0107
SMCS Links
Click on the newsletter link above to read the system news for details about the following, or click on the links for
related attachments only:
Changes and additions to the SMCS calendar * Basketball Grade/Middle School Night (January 20) * Facebook
Highlights (Dec 17-30) * Half-Day Dance Camp and Performance * Clash of the Choirs * Eucharistic
Adoration (Jan 6) * Scrip * Food Service News * Enrichment Update * Early Registration Discount
Deadline (Jan 31) * SMCS VEX Tournament * In the Community (Cor Jesu, IGNITE!, Janssen Forum, DaddyDaughter Formal, Fox Valley Youth Tennis Winter Classes)
ZFAB Meeting
A reminder that ZFAB (Zephyr Fine Arts Boosters), which is open to all SMCS community members, will have their
meeting tonight (Wednesday, January 4) at 6:30 p.m. in the commons at the high school. Please contact Christina
Turner for further information.
Basketball Grade/Middle School Night
Please note that the basketball grade/middle school night has been rescheduled for Friday, January 20! Team pictures
for grade and middle school basketball teams have also been rescheduled for that day, so please plan to stick around
after the photos for a great night of fun, food, friends and prizes.
School Closing/Delay Notification
Please note that it is SMCS's policy that if EITHER the Neenah or Menasha public schools are delayed or closed due to
weather, SMCS follows suit. As soon as it is determined, the information is posted on Facebook and the SMCS website,
and local TV and radio stations are alerted. You may also subscribe, at no cost, to the SMCS emergency alert system.
If you would like to receive notifications of unexpected events such as school closings or early dismissal due to
weather, etc., please do one of the following:
If you have a smartphone, get push notifications by opening your web browser to download the mobile app (click
below).
You can get text-only notifications by texting the message @9fg97 to the number 81010. If that does not work, text it
to 920-933-1015.
Dear Parents and Students,
The forensics season at SMCMS is ready to begin. Forensics is public speaking and is open to all students in all grades.
Students are able to participate in one of seven different categories. Poetry reading, prose reading, storytelling, and solo
acting are individual categories. Play-acting and group interpretation are done in groups of 3–5 students. Infomercial (a
new category) may be done as 1 or 2 people. Some, but not all, categories require memorization.
December:
Students will choose pieces. Students may supply their own piece (it must be approved by Mrs. Bonertz)
or may choose from pieces available in Mrs. Bonertz’s room. Students may begin selection of pieces as soon as they have
filled out and returned the bottom of this form.
January & February: All pieces must be selected by January 13. Coaches will be assigned to students during January.
Once a coach is assigned, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the coach for a practice time. Students need
to practice independently plus meet with their coaches a minimum of three times.
March: Tournaments
Practice tournament – March 2 (3:30 – 5:00) – This is mandatory for all forensics students.
Combined Elementary/Middle School Tournament – March 15 (after school)
SMCHS – March 23 (after school)
Xavier – April 11 (after school)
We need to stay to the number of entries for each category. If you have any questions, please contact me.
Mrs. Bonertz
Please detach the following and return by January 10 if you are interested in being a part of the forensics team.
Registration for forensics will be accepted after that date for any available slots. The fee for the forensics programs is
$30.00 per student for the entire season regardless of the number of tournaments the student attends. This fee covers
entrance fees and bus fees to the meets.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name_________________________________________
Please mark the category you wish to compete in. (*Category must be memorized.)
_____Poetry reading (10 students)
_____*Solo acting (10 students)
_____Prose reading (10 students)
_____*Play acting (5 groups)
Students must find their own groups.
(3-7 students) sheets must come stapled together
_____Group interpretation (5 groups)
Students must find their own groups.
(3-7 students) sheets must come stapled together
_____*Story telling (10students)
_____Infomercial (10 groups) (new)
I am aware that my child will be participating in the SMCMS forensics program. I understand that some after or before
school time will be necessary to meet with coaches.
______________________________________
Parent signature
____________________________________________________ am interested in:
Name and phone number
____Coaching - counts towards Parent Involvement hours
(please circle) prose, poetry, solo acting, infomercial, demonstration, play acting
______I will only coach my student
________I am willing to coach anyone.
If you are willing to work with someone other than your own student, you must have Virtus training.
See www.gbdioc.org/pdf/virtusWorkshopDates.pdf for dates and locations for training.
_____Judging – counts toward Parent Involvement hours (please circle) March 2 March 15
March 23 April 11
Dear Parents and Guardians,
It is appropriate that education in human sexuality find its primary focus within the family
context. Each of us begins the long process of moving toward maturity from our first moments of
life. Informal education in human sexuality begins right from birth. Particularly with regard to
the sexuality education of young children, the family setting is the “preferential place,” for
parents seem best suited to offer “clear and delicate sex education” appropriately adapted to the
age, maturity, and “sense of decency” of each child. (Taken from Human Sexuality: A Catholic
Perspective for Education and Lifelong Learning, p. 71).
This letter comes to you as a reminder of your role in educating your child in human sexuality.
As the statement above indicates, the primary education of this matter is best left to parents.
However, in the past, Catholic School’s took an active role in helping to facilitate that learning.
As the parent of a middle school child, you need to know that we are entering the second year of
no instruction in this area, per diocesan recommendations.
What does that mean for you as parents? It simply means that you need to initiate and facilitate
the discussions and the learning for your child at home. If you have not yet talked to your child
about things such as puberty, chastity, intercourse, the gift of our sexuality (being male or
female), procreation, respect for life, etc., you may want to begin to do so at this time. Middle
school students will hear and learn all of these things through less desirable channels if you do
not take an active role as a parent to help instill our Catholic values.
It is important that conversations about things begin early so that you can establish a report with
your child, thereby helping him/her to feel comfortable talking to you again in the future. They
are not too young to hear and learn about human sexuality. We will now begin teaching the
grade level lessons from the Diocesan Approved Curriculum. This will be done in religion
classes. There will be several take home lessons for which you are asked to actively complete
with your child. Be sure to sign those papers so your child can get full credit for completing
the assignment.
Please feel free to call with any questions or concerns, or if you are looking for conversation
starters. We would be happy to help you in obtaining appropriate information, based on our
Catholic teachings, so you can pass it on to your child. Thank you for your time.
Mrs. Bonertz
Grade 6 Religion
Mrs. Pociask
Grade 7 Religion
Mrs. Kalaus
Counselor/Campus Minister
Mr. Zuleger
Principal
Mr. K
Grade 8 Religion
St. Mary Catholic Middle School
7th Grade
RE: Field Trip Permission form for _________________________________

I/We, the parent(s)/guardian(s) of above named student, request that SMCMS allow my/our student
to travel to Menasha Public Library-Menasha on Friday, January 13, 2017. Students will be gone from
8:30 a.m. to 10:45 p.m.
Students will be researching for a cross curricular 3rd quarter project.

I give permission for my child to receive emergency medical treatment, if needed.
I hereby release, save harmless and indemnify SMCMS, its agents, employees and volunteers from any and
all liability for ordinary negligence causing any and all injury that my child may sustain during participation in,
or as a result of this trip.
_________________________________
Parent or guardian signature
___________________
Date
*We will accept only this form as permission to participate.
**This permission slip in the office by Wednesday, January 11, 2017. **
Please return the top portion of this page.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7th Grade Menasha Public Library
Date: Friday, January 13, 2017
Cost: none
Transportation: Kobussen Bus
Dress: SMCMS Dress Code
Optional Materials needed: Library Card if available, Note book & Pencil
Chaperones: Ms. McCarville, Mrs. Pociask, Mrs. Boots & Mrs. Barnhill
St. Mary Catholic Middle School
8th Grade Field Trip Permission
RE: Field Trip Permission form for _________________________________

I/We, the parent(s)/guardian(s) of above named student, request that SMCMS allow my/our student to travel to
Elder Lodge-Fox Crossing, Alten Haus Assisted Living-Fox Crossing, St. Paul Elder services-Kaukauna,
Hallmark Place-Kimberly, or American Grand-Neenah on January 13, 2017. Students will be gone from 8:00 to
11:15.
Because of the class theme, “Go Make a Difference,” the eighth grade students and teachers will be spending the
morning at nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the area to serve the elderly through activities and projects
and to learn about their personal histories.

I give permission for my child to receive emergency medical treatment, if needed.
I hereby release, save harmless and indemnify SMCMS, its agents, employees and volunteers from any and all liability
for ordinary negligence causing any and all injury that my child may sustain during participation in, or as a result of
this trip.
_________________________________
Parent or guardian signature
___________________
Date
*We will accept only this form as permission to participate.
**Please return this permission slip by Wednesday, January 11, 2017.
Please return the top portion of this page.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8th grade to Nursing homes
Date: Friday, January 13, 2017
Cost: None
Transportation: SMCS Buses
Dress: SMCMS Dress Code
Optional Materials needed: None
Chaperones: Mrs. Bailey, Mr. Kropidlowski, Ms. Weggel, Mrs. Gagne, Mrs. Kalaus & Mr. Jones